Entering Sunset Forest, Soloing a Thousand-Year Vajra Tiger

"Damn! This was giving me a headache."

"Even if I ran into a suitable soul master, I couldn't look for one. Teacher would definitely get suspicious, and if he asked about it, I wouldn't be able to explain. Unless an opportunity presented itself."

"Ah! Can someone tell me what I should do?"

Huo Lei wore a miserable expression as he tossed and turned on the bed.

"Forget it! There was still some time anyway, so I'd just let nature take its course for now! When that day really came, maybe I'd find a way. No matter what, I couldn't miss this opportunity."

Early the next morning, after Huo Lei and his teacher finished breakfast, they took a carriage to Sunset Forest.

Sunset Forest lay a hundred li east of Heaven Dou City. Before noon, Huo Lei and his teacher had already reached the outskirts of Sunset Forest.

"Wow! I've finally come to the Sunset Forest I've dreamed about day and night."

Standing at the edge of Sunset Forest's outskirts, Huo Lei raised both arms and sighed in emotion.

"Brat, we're not here for sightseeing. This is considered a trial for you. Let's make this clear beforehand: if we encounter a soul beast you can handle, I absolutely won't step in."

Jin Shan glanced at his disciple and promptly poured cold water over the excited Huo Lei.

"Yes, Teacher. This disciple will definitely cherish this opportunity to train."

Instead, Huo Lei looked delighted.

"Hmph! Brat, don't get cocky. You'll be in for it later."

Jin Shan snorted and, as soon as he finished speaking, strode into Sunset Forest.

"Hey! Teacher, wait for me..."

Although Sunset Forest was not as vast as Star Dou Great Forest, its dense woodland stretched as far as the eye could see. Towering trees blocked out the sun, insect chirps and bird calls filled the air, and beastly roars occasionally echoed through the forest.

Meow!

A Mottled Cat that had been lying on a tree trunk saw Huo Lei and his teacher pass by. It warily rose to its feet and scrutinized them.

"Hello, little kitty!"

Huo Lei looked up, smiling as he waved in greeting.

A Mottled Cat with ten years of cultivation would not actively attack humans. Even if it attacked Huo Lei, he would not care.

Seeing how relaxed his disciple looked, Jin Shan felt inexplicably displeased. "Brat, when you run into thousand-year and ten-thousand-year soul beasts, let's see if you still dare greet them like that."

At that moment, Huo Lei had no idea that his teacher was already thinking about how to "properly temper" him.

As the two ventured deeper, the soul beasts they encountered grew increasingly old. Jin Shan would simply release a trace of pressure to frighten off any soul beast below the thousand-year level.

Roar~

A tiger's roar sounded from deep within the forest.

"Brat, get ready for your trial!"

Jin Shan's lips curled into a meaningful smile.

"Rest assured, Teacher. This disciple has been ready at all times."

Huo Lei answered solemnly, his expression turning from relaxed to serious.

Jin Shan was very pleased with his disciple's change. He nodded slightly and continued deeper into Sunset Forest.

Roar~

A thunderous roar deafened their ears as a golden figure shot out of the dense undergrowth and blocked Huo Lei and his teacher's path.

Huo Lei reacted swiftly, immediately halting and focusing his gaze on the soul beast that had suddenly appeared before him.

The soul beast resembled a tiger and was golden all over. Its body alone was three meters long, not counting its tail. Its shoulder height nearly matched Huo Lei's, at least one and a half meters tall. The markings on its body were darker than its fur, and the prominent king character on its forehead made it appear even more imposing.

"This is a soul beast—the Vajra Tiger!"

"Teacher, this soul beast is rather similar to your martial soul."

Huo Lei looked happily at his teacher, without the slightest trace of fear.

"At first glance, they do seem alike, but there are still differences. My martial soul is the King Kong Tiger King."

"Why are you so excited, brat? I won't help you. Judging by its size, this Vajra Tiger has at least two thousand years of cultivation. Enjoy yourself!"

Jin Shan gave an evil smile and leaped onto a nearby tree.

"A two-thousand-year Vajra Tiger isn't enough to make me afraid."

Watching his teacher leap away, Huo Lei muttered to himself.

The exchange between teacher and disciple had taken only an instant.

The Vajra Tiger did not attack as soon as it appeared. It merely paced around and watched them, seemingly weighing something, giving off a cautious and wary impression.

Roar~

The Vajra Tiger roared furiously and finally charged at Huo Lei.

Huo Lei did not dare lower his guard. The yellow soul ring on his body lit up instantly. "First Soul Skill, Flame Fireball!"

Basin-sized red fireballs shot from Huo Lei's palms and sped toward the Vajra Tiger.

Rather than take the incoming fireballs head-on, the Vajra Tiger chose to dodge, immediately slowing its charge by more than half.

Huo Lei attacked while retreating, widening the distance between himself and the Vajra Tiger.

"Second Soul Skill, Flame Ring Bind!"

A massive ring of fire encircled the Vajra Tiger. Huo Lei controlled the fire ring as it rapidly shrank, restricting the Vajra Tiger's range of movement.

Seeing that the timing was right, he did not hesitate to unleash his third soul skill, Earthflame Eruption.

Boom!

A thick pillar of molten fire erupted from the ground, launching the Vajra Tiger more than ten meters into the air.

"Done!"

Huo Lei snapped his fingers smugly and turned to look at his teacher, who was watching from the tree trunk.

Seeing the smug expression on his disciple's face, Jin Shan instinctively curled his lip. "Brat, you're celebrating far too early. The Vajra Tiger's defense isn't so easy to break."

Hearing his teacher's words, Huo Lei hurriedly turned back to check on the Vajra Tiger.

With a splat, the Vajra Tiger crashed onto the ground. It let out a pained whimper, then rolled over and rose to its feet, its body slightly charred.

The Vajra Tiger let out an earth-shaking roar at Huo Lei. Golden light flashed in its eyes as it lunged straight at him.

"Holy shit! No way! I knew Vajra Tigers had strong defenses, but not this strong! My third soul skill only gave its fur a few minor injuries?"

Faced with the charging Vajra Tiger, Huo Lei chose to evade.

Having missed its attack, the Vajra Tiger became even more enraged. It raised its right paw high and slashed at Huo Lei, sending five golden, crescent-shaped claw blades flying toward him.

The distance was too short, and the claw blades had appeared too suddenly. Huo Lei had no way to avoid them. He did not have Tang San's movement technique, nor did he possess any soul skills that enhanced speed.

"This is bad! I can't dodge it. I can only take it head-on."

"Fourth Soul Ring, Lava Armor!"

A purple soul ring appeared, and Huo Lei's body was covered from head to toe in a thick layer of red rock.

Bang! Bang! Bang~

Five collisions rang out as sparks flew everywhere.

Though Huo Lei was uninjured, the immense impact sent him staggering backward again and again.

"What incredible strength. What a powerful attack."

After steadying himself, Huo Lei looked at his Lava Armor. Five long claw marks were clearly visible, and he could not help sucking in a cold breath. "This is a soul skill bestowed by a five-thousand-year soul beast, yet a two-thousand-year soul beast left such obvious claw marks with a single attack. That was ridiculously strong. Fortunately, this Lava Armor is sturdy enough, or that Vajra Tiger would have disemboweled me."

"Brat, enjoying yourself?"

Jin Shan, standing in the tree, mocked him smugly.

This old man really loved watching trouble unfold.

Huo Lei felt a surge of irritation, but he forced out a smile and loudly replied, "I am! This is great! Teacher, this disciple hasn't had this much fun in a long time."

"This brat's mouth is still pretty stubborn. Then enjoy yourself slowly! You've already used all four soul skills. Let's see how long you can hold out."

Jin Shan looked down at Huo Lei below, grumbling inwardly.

"What should I do? I can't keep wasting energy like this. I need to quickly find the Vajra Tiger's weakness and kill it in one strike. I can't let that old man in the tree laugh at me."

While guarding against the Vajra Tiger before him, Huo Lei's thoughts raced.